Bay Street Bridge project receives award

Monday

Jun 16, 2014 at 11:08 PMJun 16, 2014 at 11:14 PM

Stefan SwaintekCorrespondent

The construction on the Bay Street Bridge has received an award in the “Under Budget” category of the northeast regional America’s Transportation Awards competition. At the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials 2014 conference in New Hampshire, Highway Division District 5 staff accepted the award.

The award ceremony is set up by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and is used to showcase innovative transportation construction projects around the country.

The project, which began in March 2012 and ended later that same year, replaced the old bridge and Morey’s dam, which was not a part of the original bridge, with a wider bridge and a more environmentally friendly dam.

The $6.76 million project was completed $2 million under budget. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation designed the project in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

The bridge separates Lake Sabbatia and Mill River, which at one time served as a breeding and nursing grounds for a number of different species of river life, especially alewives, blueback herring, and American eels. The new dam allows the fish and eels passage via an eel ramp and fish ladder.

“The America’s Transportation Awards competition showcases the outstanding, innovative and diverse range of transportation projects that are improving travel and the quality of life in America, even during a time of funding uncertainty,” said Mike Hancock, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials president and secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.